SUPER Easy Artisan Bread

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Does making bread intimidate you, just a little? I’ve been making bread for a LONG time, but there are still some batches that make me scratch my head and wonder what went wrong. Time is another factor. Sometimes I want fresh bread or rolls to go with a meal, but I don’t have time in my day to make it.

Today is your day to cross both of those problems off your list. This bread is so simple, cheap and hands-off that anyone can make it . Did I mention that it’s delicious? It’s crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Mmmmm. Perfect with soup, and well, perfect with anything.

Get your recipe book out. This isn’t one of those recipes you throw on a scrap of paper and lose. It’s a keeper.

French Peasant Bread

2 c. warm water

1 T. yeast

2 tsp. salt

3 T. sugar

4 c. flour

oil

Get ready. These instructions are so simple you’ll think you’ve missed something. You haven’t. They’re just that easy.

Dissolve yeast, sugar, salt in warm water. Because you’re using quite a bit of water, don’t expect your yeast to bubble. Just make sure everything is dissolved by stirring the bottom of the bowl. When you don’t hear granules between your spoon and the bowl, you’re good. It will look like this:

Stir in flour until mixed well. It’s a sticky dough. You don’t need to knead it, so don’t worry if it seems more sticky than other bread dough you’ve made. It’ll look like this:

Let it rise until it’s doubled. This may take an hour but probably a bit less. Split the dough in half. I oil my hands up a little so that the dough doesn’t stick and I sort of “cut” it with my fingers. No need to be too exact.

Place the dough on an oiled and cookie sheet in two even lumps. You can sprinkle cornmeal on the sheet first if you prefer it. I like to sprinkle it with basil and oregano at this point.

Let the dough rest there for 15-20 minutes. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375 for 15-20 minutes and you’re done!

Look how pretty it is!

If you want to mix it up a bit, try adding something yummy. Caramelized onions, kalamata olives and feta, or roasted garlic cloves all add really yummy flavors and textures. OR, cut it like a huge bun, layer your favorite ingredients and cut them in quarters or smaller and you have delicious sandwiches for a crowd. They’re sure to like the sandwich but they’ll LOVE the bread.

Dissolve yeast, sugar, salt in warm water. Because you’re using quite a bit of water, don’t expect your yeast to bubble. Just make sure everything is dissolved by stirring the bottom of the bowl. When you don’t hear granules between your spoon and the bowl, you’re good.

Stir in flour until mixed well. It’s a sticky dough. You don’t need to knead it, so don’t worry if it seems more sticky than other bread dough you’ve made.

Let it rise until it’s doubled. This may take an hour but probably a bit less. Split the dough in half. I oil my hands up a little so that the dough doesn’t stick and I sort of ”cut” it with my fingers. No need to be too exact.

Place the dough on an oiled and cookie sheet in two even lumps. You can sprinkle cornmeal on the sheet first if you prefer it. I like to sprinkle it with basil and oregano at this point.

Let the dough rest there for 15-20 minutes. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375 for 15-20 minutes and you’re done!

About Amy

Amy is keeping it real enjoying ( mostly :) ) four kids, one husband and a busy life. She does a bit of everything but LOVES knitting, cooking global cuisine, every BBC period piece, and (as a mom of 3 adopted kids) adoption!

I gave it a try…my first bread ever after 31 years of marriage. My version added jalapeños, cheese and garlic. Delicious, delicious, delicious. The fam ate it up. Thanks for the new recipe and adding a little spice to my boring menu selections.

Hmmm. Of course you could always half the recipe, but I’m not sure about keeping it in the fridge because I’ve never done it with this recipe. I would think that as long as you punched it down a couple of times in the first couple of hours you should be okay.

I think freezing it might be a good way to go. You do have to increase the yeast a bit to compensate for the yeast that dies in the freezing process, but it turns out well in my experience.

Amy, Thnank you for the wonderful recipes! I love fresh home made bread and always try new recipes. So just baked the bread tonight.It is amazing and very easy to bake.My hubby liked it too. One loaf was with basil and cheese,and an another one just like it is. Definitely will keep it and do it again! Thanks:)

Your recipes are wonderful, but I have a problem with the temperature for the oven, I imagine that will be grades K ° but in my country kitchens are in degrees C ° to make the conversion, the temperature is very low,’d give me a hand? is impossible to cook the bread at 151 ° C and 101 ° after first …. As you can do? A great hug!!

I am going to try this I have never been able to successfully make anything that calls for yeast. I have tried making no knead bread recently and failed the first one was very wet the second one had no taste. I’m hoping this recipe will work for me.

Jen, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised! I’ve never known this one to fail. It’s very forgiving and with so few ingredients it’s hard to truly mess up. I really want to know how it goes. Be sure to give me a full report.

So, I JUST made this bread, it just came out of the oven and my kids and husband are snarfing it down! It is SO FREAKING DELISH!!! I did different toppings tho. On one, I did what one commenter said, and diced up Jalapeños about 3 T, 1 tsp minced garlic and about 1/2 c. shredded cheddar and just mixed it into the dough before the last rise. OMG, hubby lOVES it and asked me to make more already! LOL! And the other, I just sprinkled parsley, Himalayan Pink salt, and Tastefully Simples’ herb and spinach dip mix on top, not much just a sprinkle. But wow tasteful! This bread is amazingly EASY and light and flavorful. It has the perfect crunch on the outside that pairs beautifully with the soft fluffy inside. YUM!! 6 Stars (because that’s how many are in our family!)

Thanks,girls for the recipe! I’ve use it for 2 or 3 year and love it! Also use for pizza and for bread with garlic and cheese. I love to bake all kind of the bread (as my mom used to say “Home is not a home if you can’t smell a fresh baking bread and pies!” 🙂 )and this one is one of my favorite! Easy,minimum affords and time. Thanks and thanks again! :))

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